


Bark at the Moon

by MugenYumeDansu



Series: Where Silver Leaves Fall and Golden Apples Grow [3]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Backstory, Other, Prequel, werecreatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 06:48:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5995570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MugenYumeDansu/pseuds/MugenYumeDansu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the beginning of Rhys and Lorin's story, so no WD yet, and no canon characters yet, but it fills in a bit about Rhys and Lorin. I may add some canon character stories. Mainly Daryl, because he is the canon focus of the main story.</p><p>Thank you for reading!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bark at the Moon

Rhyssonie had been a tiny child. When she was born they had believed her stillborn, because she didn't cry, didn't move, didn't even breath, until she was wrapped in a blanket and the midwife began rubbing circles on her tiny back.

Then she took in her first breath of air, sucking it in like a greedy thing, and let out an ear piercing shriek and began flailing her arms in every direction. She was red faced and angry at the world, screaming her frustration out.

Her mother smiled a secret, knowing smile, and bared her breast to feed the ravenous newborn when the older woman passed her into Ailah's arms. She latched onto her mother's breast at once and, like her first breath of air, suckled as if there were no tomorrow.

Fate had blessed both mother and child, for the little fierce thing bundled up in blankets would be Ailah's only child. Her mate having passed away shortly after Ailah had conceived. And the child, for between her mother's bloodline and her father's abilities, the child would grow to be a powerful force. One that the pack had not seen for a century.

Yes, this one was strong.

 

* * *

 

Rhys hated being bothered. She hated everyone intruding on her when all she wanted was quiet and peace from the clamor of the pack.

The only one who seemed to understand that was her mother. Ailah was much the same, and so gave her daughter her space.

So Rhys was mildly surprised when one of her dark haired cousins pulled her aside one day as she was seeking a place of solitude, with only the words "I have something to show you" and led her out past the fields and into the woods. She followed silently as he led her out past the old waterfall, onto a path that was barely marked. They walked in silence for a while until they came upon a clearing. It had to be nearly a mile out, and there was no one around.

He spoke as an outcropping of rock backed by a few trees came into view.

"This is where I come when I want to get away. Your welcome to it. No body else comes out this far." Rhys blinked at him, trying hard to remember his name. They had come to a standstill, a few yards between them. He was facing the little cliff, one hand in his jeans pocket.

"Thank you." She said simply, looking around. It was a beautiful place. One she definitely would have chosen for herself. She felt a little guilty at not knowing who it was she was thanking.

"Lorin." He slanted a look at her and smirked. Rhys was confused.

"I'm sorry?" She asked.

"My name." He laughed. Rhys flushed and looked away. She had hoped he couldn't tell that she didn't know him from his brothers. Her mother's brothers both had close to a dozen children each, predominantly males, and they all looked a lot alike.

"Oh." Rhys felt awkward. Lorin was being kind enough to give her an escape from the others, and she hadn't even known his name. Lorin laughed, a quiet thing, but very expressive.

"It's alright. My own mother confuses me for my brothers sometimes. I kind of expect it anymore.

But everyone knows you. Ailah's only child. And you look nothing like the rest of us. The only pack member with flame-red hair and green eyes." He looked up at the sky. Rhys was surprised.

"You know, you made quite an upheaval when you were born. Everyone thought you were a human child.

Until you shifted for the first time. It was pretty obvious that you were a fullblood. Now they wonder who your father was." He fell silent then. Rhys quietly took in what he was saying. It was very rarely that she heard anything like that about herself. Her mother kept her away from most of the pack's gossip. Her curiosity piqued.

"What else do they say?" She looked at him from under her hair.

"Hmm. I guess you wouldn't have heard, being a loner. They mostly speculate about your parentage, and if you're alpha enough to challenge Sariah for leadership. I guess none of them are very observant. You're not that kind of alpha. And even if you were that kind of alpha you would most likely choose to leave. You aren't ambitious, and you aren't a leader. You just want to be left alone." When he finished speaking it struck her just how accurate he was in his assessment of her. It also made her wary.

"How do you know so much about me?" She shifted so that he was within her sight. He tilted his head sideways and smiled at her.

"Because I'm a loner too. And because I spend more time than I should observing everything around me. I study. And you are a subject I find very interesting, Rhyssonie." He turned toward her. He watched her as she absorbed his words.

They stood in silence, Rhys contemplating his answer. She couldn't figure out if she was uncomfortable with that or not.

In the end it didn't really bother her too much. Lorin kept to himself nearly as much as she did. So he wasn't much of a threat. In fact he may be able to give her an advantage at some point. So she decided then and there to offer the hand of friendship.

"So what else do you find interesting?" Lorin's eyes widened. He seemed genuinely surprised. Rhys smirked and waited.

Seeing that she was serious he smiled back and began on the books he liked.

* * *

 

Rhys sat reclined under her tree with one of her favorite books, one her cousin had suggested.

Lorin was napping in wolf form up in the tree's thicker branches.

This was something that had become quite common since the day Lorin had first brought her out here six years ago.

The two of them had become very close since then.

Close enough that Lorin had become a common sight anywhere that Rhys was. Close enough to call each other siblings.

Lorin was three years older than Rhys, but their age difference didn't matter. They had become inseparable.

The pack had been stunned by their bonding, but not for long. They all expected the two to become a mated pair, regardless of pack laws. It would never happen, but Rhys and Lorin liked to give them fuel for their gossip every now and then.

A blush here, a stray comment there, holding hands whenever they knew any of the pack were around, then jumping apart when spotted.

It was all a game to the young shifters.

Of course Ailah, Rhys's mother knew the truth, and she found it amusing. But Lorin's father Silas made it very well known how he felt about Lorin and Rhys associating at all. The short of it was he didn't approve.

It didn't stop them though. More often than not the two shifters would be out at the rock or hiding at Ailah's house, watching movies, reading, or going for a run together.

Neither of them seemed to be comfortable without the other somewhere close by.

Especially lately, since one of the younger boys in the pack had taken an interest in Rhys. Whenever they were within earshot he would track them down and attempt to flirt, very obnoxiously, with Rhys. No matter how many times she told him to leave her be, he wouldn't quit.

It was starting to get on Rhys' nerves.

Add to that the fact that Rhys had developed a crush on a human boy from the school they all attended, and it made matters complicated.

Rhys sighed and put her book down, calling up to Lorin.

"Come down here! I wanna talk."

Her request was followed by a huff and snapping twigs as Lorin flipped off his branch and landed beside her, letting a huge yawn split his canine jaws before he shifted back. 

"You know you always interrupt the best dreams." He said, noncommittally.

"Yeah, yeah, so you've told me. Now get dressed." She tossed a pair of blue shorts at Lorin's head. He caught them out of the air and shrugged them on.

"So what'cha wanna talk about? Is it Lucas again? Or something really important?"

Her indignant "Hey!" was smothered by his laughter.

"What? It's a fair assumption." He said between chuckles. Rhys just blushed.

"Is not. And I actually wanted your advice. About Dane. He's getting more aggressive lately. He actually tried to start a fight with one of the other boys who called me strange. That's not a good sign." Rhys got serious. Lorin leaned against the tree and 'hmm'ed.

"Yeah, you're right. He is getting territorial. And there's no reason, because you haven't let him think that there's any reason to act the way he is. I was thinking, maybe we need to go to Sariah about this. Before it becomes a bigger issue."

Lorin yawned after he finished speaking and leaned his bare torso over on Rhys's side. Being used to this kind of behavior, she just shifted her weight to support him.

"Maybe you're right. I didn't really want to have to take it to Alpha Sariah, but if it keeps it from becoming a bigger issue, then I guess we need to."

She set her book down and looked up at the tree, running a hand through her hair and letting out a small sigh.

 

* * *

 

Talking to Sariah had been a bit of a chore. Of course he interrogated both Rhys and Lorin about the other male's perceived claim on Rhys.

After both had been through the whole spiel separately, and then together, as Pack Law dictated, then judgement had passed that Rhys was truthful, and had never given the other male a reason to believe he had a claim.

Then Dane had been brought forward, and privately questioned about the situation. When it all came together, it became evident that the male in question was somewhat unhinged, and didn't care whether Rhys had given him a reason. He planned to claim her regardless, whether it was against her will or not.

As a result, an investigation was launched into the reason for the boy's mindset.

As it turned out, the boy's father had taken claimed his mother against her will, and being a beta, she hadn't spoken out against him for fear of what he might do to her or her children.

All in all it caused a hell of an uproar, with Rhys and Lorin at the epicenter.

Now, no matter how much they tried, they were both pariah and hero, respectfully, to the different factions of the pack. And they couldn't escape it anywhere.

When they finally did, it was short lived and strained.

That is until one of Rhys and Lorin's cousin's brought home a human wife, heavy with child.

* * *

 

Rhys hated that it was this easy. She was leaving everything and everyone behind in the mountains and heading south to attend a university in Florida.

The only regrets she had were her mother and her cousin. No one else mattered enough for her to care.

Her mother was fully supportive, even knowing that the college was only a cover for her to get away from the pack.

Lorin was happy for her, but he had hoped she would follow him to Texas instead. Rhys had decided that she needed time to herself to figure out exactly what it was she wanted to do with herself.

So here she was. Bags packed, goodbyes said, plane ticket waiting for her. And aremarkably light heart. She would see her family again. But now she was on her way to freedom.

She smiled to herself and picked up her one bag and turned to the door.

Little did she know she only had a few short years to enjoy it before the world would come crashing down at her feet.


End file.
